The question that struck me from day 19 is, is my prayer arranged around my activities or are my activities arranged around prayer? Which one is at the center of my life – What I do or my prayers?

Honestly, it is my activities. I pray when I have time, or when I feel like it, not all the time. I don’t pray, then plan my day. I look at my schedule and see when I can pray. As a pastor, I know prayer is powerful and the most important thing I can do, but I still don’t do it enough – or some days, ever.

Does your prayer help you minister and impact others around you? It should. God wants us to do those things so when we pray for those opportunities, He will answer.

PWG

http://www.acts413.net/21days

Pray without ceasing. When I hear that verse in 1 Thessalonians 5, I always feel like I have missed the mark because I want to pray more, but I’m not sure I’ll ever live up to that standard.

However, the reading today gives me hope. It says the word used for “ceasing” is really translated “omission”. So the thought is to pray without omission – or live without leaving prayer out of any situation or circumstance in life. It is an attitude of first response. I’m going to pray before I do anything else.

Please understand, that is not what I do. In fact, I almost never pray first and then do what God tells me to do. I usually start working on my solution, then when everything else has failed, I pray. The reading asks a question – What is our first response or reaction to disappointment, crisis, tragedy, or success? Is it to pray or is it to give our human response then pray?

Take a minute and evaluate your prayer times – do you feel like you pray enough to satisfy 1 Thessalonians 5:18?

PWG

http://www.acts413.net/21days

As you read the devotion for day 17, what pops into your mind? What prayers have you prayed before that you knew would be answered? What things would you pray now if you could know with 100% certainty they would be answered?

God gives us the opportunity to pray and know He will answer. If we pray things that are in His will – things that build up our faith, bless others, and glorify Him.

Let’s focus our prayer today on things that matter the most.

PWG

http://www.acts413.net/21days